The present invention relates to a power-driven cowl for an automotive vehicle, and more particularly to a power-driven cowl which is automatically operated to cover and uncover a front windshield wiper.
As known, a front windshield wiper is disposed in a space between a rear end of an engine hood panel and a front windshield glass. For the purpose of a fair external appearance of automotive vehicle and/or the protection of the front windshield wiper, a cowl panel provided between the engine hood panel and the windshield glass is adapted to move between a closed position wherein the cowl panel covers the front windshield wiper and an open position wherein the cowl panel uncovers the front windshield wiper. The movable cowl panel is generally coupled to and operated by driving means such as a reversible electric motor to cover and uncover the front windshield wiper. One such movable cowl is disclosed in Japanese Utility Model Unexamined Publication No. 60-131,450 entitled "Concealed Type Wiper Housing Apparatus" laid open to the public Sept. 3, 1985. The movable cowl taught by the above-mentioned publication is adapted to open and close a cowl box or housing formed between a rear end of an engine hood panel and a front windshield glass wherein the front windshield wiper is housed. When the front windshield wiper is used, the movable cowl, in particular a cowl panel, is remotely operated by a driver from the driver's seat of the automotive vehicle to open the cowl box, allowing the windshield wiper to operate. In order to make it possible to remotely operate the movable cowl panel to open and close the cowl box so as to cover and uncover the front windshield wiper, the movable cowl panel is often preferred to be cooperated with power driving means such as an electric motor. Due to the provision of the power driving means, the driver is allowed remotely to open and close the movable cowl panel from the driver's seat.
However, because the movable cowl panel in its closed position prevents the front windshield wiper from normally operating, the provision of the power driven-cowl is considered to be counterproductive once the power driving means of the movable cowl panel gets out of order or becomes inoperative while the cowl panel covers up the front windshield wiper. If in fact the power driving means accidentally gets out of order or inoperative with the movable cowl panel left in the closed position during driving, in particular, in rain or snow, the front windshield wiper cannot operate, and the driver's sight is greatly impaired. In a heavy rain or snow, a traffic accident may be caused from poor visibility induced owing to an inoperative front windshield wiper.